Comedian Pete Davidson has hit back at his former girlfriend Ariana Grande after she said their relationship had been a “distraction”.

The Saturday Night Live star, 26, had a whirlwind romance with the pop singer last year and they were briefly engaged before breaking up.

In an interview with Vogue magazine, Grande, also 26, said the relationship had been an “amazing distraction” and that she was unfamiliar with him before they got together.

Ariana Grande and Pete Davidson
Ariana Grande and Pete Davidson had a whirlwind romance before ending their engagement (PA)

Now, Davidson has responded and said Grande is “fair game”.

During his Netflix stand-up comedy special Pete Davidson: Alive From New York, he said she has “her songs and stuff and this is what I have.”

Grande often draws on her personal life for music and even has a song named after Davidson.

The comedian said he felt entitled to air his “dirty laundry” with regards to Grande.

“Could you imagine if I did that?” he said, referencing her Vogue interview.

“My career would be over tomorrow if I spray painted myself brown and hopped on the cover of Vogue magazine and just started shitting on my ex. Can you imagine if I did that shit?”

The paint comment was a reference to her apparently darkened skin tone on the Vogue cover.

Davidson and Grande confirmed their engagement in June 2018, only for it to be called off the following October, a month after the death of the singer’s ex-boyfriend, Mac Miller.

In a separate interview, Davidson also hinted he was ready to leave SNL, the long-running US comedy sketch show.

Appearing on an episode of Live Your Truth:  An Honest Conversation With Charlamagne Tha God, Davidson said he was unhappy being the punchline of many of the show’s jokes.

“You don’t ever want to pull the trigger too early,” he said when asked about leaving SNL.

“Everybody’s always been like, ‘You’ll know when you know, and it’ll be all right.’

“I personally think I should be done with that show because they make fun of me on it.”